William read



(N0 ModeL) W, READ, Jr TRANSPARENT PICTURE.

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UNITED STATES PATENT EricE.

VILLIAM READ, JR, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO SARAH FARRINGTON READ, OF SAME PLACE.

TRANSPARENT PICTURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 401,803, dated April 9, 1889.

Application filed January 23, 1888. Serial No. 261,591. (No model.)

To all whmn, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM READ, J12, of Boston, in. the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and u seful Improvements in Transparent Pictures, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to produce a substitute for porcelain photographs or like pictures, which shall possess the desirable qualities of softness and delicacy without the brittleness of porcelain work and which shall be'much cheaper.

To these ends my invention consists in the improved picture which I will now proceed to describe.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a front view of my improved picture, certain parts being broken away and two sheets of gelatine being employed. Fig. 2 represents an enlarged section on line a: m, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents another enlarged section, showing the picture with but one sheet of gelatine. Fig. i represents a section similar to Fig. 3, but having the print embossed in imitation of canvas.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In carrying out my invention I take a sheet, a, of gelatine and secure to one of its sides, by a transparent cement, a photographic print or other picture, I), on paper, the cement employed being of such a nature that it will not only secure the print to the gelatine, but will also permeate the print and make it nearly transparent. I prefer to use a cement composed wholly or largely of balsam-fir. The gelatine sheet is preferably at the back of the print, and while in some cases I cement another gelat-ine sheet to the front of the print, as hereinafter described, I prefer, when economy is an object, to use but one sheet of gelatine, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. I also prefer to emboss the printto give it a surface resembling canvas, as indicated on an enlarged scale in Fig. i, the yielding gelatine backing enabling cells or depressions of suitable depth to be formed in the print.

The back of the gelatine sheet may be painted upon to give the desired tints to the picture. The picture thus produced is flexible, not easily broken, and has a particularly soft and pleasing effect. It maybe produced at a very small expense as compared with ordinary porcelain pictures.

The transparent cement permeates the print and a portion of it dries on the outer surface of the print and forms an air-proof film which prevents the cement from drying between the print and the gelatine sheet, so that the cement is kept in a transparent condition. A coat in g of transparent'varnish may be laid upon the outer surface of the print.

The article of manufacture composed of the superposed sheets, respectively, of paper and gelatine, united as described, the paper sheet having a print or picture, is intended chiefly for the use of amateur or would-be artists, who can apply oil-colors to the rear surface of the gelatine backing. Colors thus applied, although crude and dauby when viewed directly, present a much better appearance when viewed through the 'medium of the print and the gelatine, and have a soft and usually pleasing and satisfactory effect. A very marked advantage of this article for the purpose above stated lies in the ease with which the colors can be removed from the gelatine without injury to the latter, so that an amateur can color the same picture repeatedly.

Turpentine or linseed-oil may be used to dissolve oil-colors and remove them from the gelatine, neither of these materials having any inj uricus eifect on the gelatine.

I prefer to apply a thin coating of waterproof varnish to the back of the gelatine to prevent it from absorbing moisture from the atmosphere and being warped thereby.

To make a more substantial and bulky picture, I secure a gelatine sheet, a, to the front of the print by the same transparent cement, thus protecting the sheet on both sides by gelatine. (See Figs. 1 and 2.) Upon the back of the sheet a are painted such details of the picture as are necessarily close to the print, such as the eyes and parts of the hair and flesh tint-s. I then place a frame, c', against the back of the sheet a, said frame being composed of strips of sheet metal bent into U shape in cross-section and interlocked at their corners, as shown. Against the back of the frame 2', I place a sheet, 0, of gelatine, or, if preferred, two sheets 0 c, the duplication of said sheets beingfor the purpose of securing greater thickness and stiffness. When the two sheets 0 c are used, I secure them together by transparent cement, which additionally stiffens them.

The sheet or sheets 0 are separated from the sheet a at the back of the print by a space, 3, equal to the thickness of the framestrips. Upon the back of the sheet or sheets a are laid suitable colors, as shown at d, Fig. 2, arranged to coincide with different parts of the print, said colors being subdued and softened when viewed through the outer gelatine sheet, a, the transparent print I), the inner gelatine sheet, a, the space 5, and the back gelatine sheet or sheets, 0. Back of all I place an opaque backing, e, of thick paper, card-board, or other suitable material. To the front surface of the outer gelatine sheet, a, I apply a water-proof coating, f, of transparent varnish, to protect the gelatine against the moisture of the atmosphere and keep it bright and transparent.

The several superposed layers above described are secured together by a suitable frame or binding, which may be composed of cloth or paper strips g, bent over the edges of said layers and cemented thereto, or strips of wood suitably interlocked at their corners.

The transparent cement which is used to secure the print to the front and back gelatine sheets permeates the prints, as above described, and is protected from the drying action of the air by the gelatine sheets between which the print is interposed. The back sheets, 0 c, are also keptbright and transparent by the transparent cement between them. The front sheet, a, print I), and back sheet, a, may be used alone, all the colors being laid on the back of the sheet a.

I claim v 1. As an article of manufacture, a flexible transparent picture composed of superposed sheets, respectively, of gelatine and paper united by a transparent cement, the paper sheet having a print or picture thereon and being embossed in imitation of canvas on the front side, as set forth.

2. As an articleof manufacture, a flexible transparent picture composed of superposed sheets, respectively, of paper having a print or picture and gelatine united by a transparent cement, the gelatine being protected from atmospheric action by a water-proof coating appliedto the back of said gelatine sheet, as set forth.

3. The improved transparent picture sheet composed of superposed layers of paper and gelatine united by a transparent cement, the

gelatine being protected from atmospheric action by a water-proof coating applied to its exposed surface, as set forth.

4. The improved flexible transparent picture composed of the front gelatine sheet, a, having a transparent water-proof coating on its outer surface, the back gelatine sheet, a, and the interposed print I), secured to said sheets by transparent cement, as set forth.

5. The improved picture composed of a print, front and back gelatine sheets, a a, to which the print is secured by a transparent cement, the front gelatine sheet having a transparent waterproof coating on its outer surface, the back gelatine sheet or sheets, 0, having color laid upon them coinciding with the print, and the metal frame interposed bctween the sheets a and c and forming a space, 8, therebetween, as set forth.

6. The improved picture composed of. a print, front and back gelatine sheets, a a, to which the print is secured by a transparent cement, the front gelatine sheet having a transparent water-proof coating on its outer surface, the back gelatine sheet or sheets, 0,

having color laid upon them coinciding with the print, and the metal frame interposed between the sheets a and o and forming a space, 3, th erebetween, and a marginal binding securing all of said parts together, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 7th day of January, A. D. 1888.

WILLIAM READ, JR.

Witnesses:

O. F. BROWN, A. D. HARRISON. 

